Episode Tags: Three Minus Bree and Which Father Knows Best?
by 88Keys
Summary: A series of three tags to the episodes mentioned in the title, because they were so good that they left me wanting more. Bree/Donald father-daughter relationship. Also includes the fire that Adam and Chase had to fight.
1. Donald

**Author's Note: I really, really loved the episodes "Three Minus Bree" and "Which Father Knows Best?" Loved the Bree/Donald relationship; we just don't see enough of that on the show! Also loved how Leo ended up being the one to solve the problem, and the Douglas redemption. Just a great couple of episodes all around. However, they left me wanting a bit more. So I wrote a few tags to flesh out the episodes a bit. This story will be three chapters, each one from a different character's point of view. I hope you like them.**

**Episode Tags: Three Minus Bree and Which Father Knows Best?**

**By 88Keys**

**12/4/14**

**Part One- Donald**

_He has never seen her like this before._

It's true that Bree often rebels in her own little ways. A roll of the eyes, a sarcastic comment, a heavy sigh of annoyance when asked to do even a minor task. But generally, she does what is told and stays out of trouble. Well, major trouble, anyway. All of his kids do, most of the time. And for that, he is very grateful.

He also knows that she is still upset that he denied her the opportunity to go to Australia. And he can understand, from her limited teenaged viewpoint, how it looks as if he made a hasty decision without listening to her side of things. And maybe he did, in a way.

Still, there are variables she has not considered. Conditions of which she is unaware, and he does not want to voice them because he doesn't want her to worry any more than she already does. She and her brothers are remarkably good at bouncing back and continuing on with their lives after traumatic experiences. He wants that to continue, and if it means he has to take the worries onto his own shoulders, then so be it. He will gladly bear those burdens for them.

She doesn't know how his breath caught in his throat when he opened the letter. How his stomach fluttered and his heartbeat pounded in his ears when he read the words "accepted into the study abroad program." She would be gone a month.

_A whole month without her._

By the time she arrives home from school, he has worked out what he will say. He gives her some excuses about missions and teamwork and capsules, and though they are all legitimate concerns, they do not get to the real heart of the issue.

_He cannot let her go because he would simply miss her too much._

He is not prepared to face the fact that his little girl is almost grown up. All of his children are. The children that he reluctantly took in on a whim all those years ago, who disrupted his life and his plans and turned his whole world upside down, are now the biggest part of him. And all of them are almost ready to move on and find their own way in the world. He knows this has to happen, but the thought of losing such a big part of his self is too terrifying to face right now. So he plays the part of the angry dad who lays down the law, and the turns and marches out of the room so that he doesn't have to see the hurt look on her face.

Later, when she goes to a concert after he specifically forbade it, Donald is surprised.

He knows she is still angry and hurt, but it is not like her to be so openly defiant. She's usually more subtle, more sneaky. Like when she applied to the Australia program without asking him.

Going to a forbidden concert is still pretty low on the teenage rebellion scale. And he knows the quickest and best way to punish her; public humiliation in front of her peers. But the interruption costs him valuable time and effort, and time is precious right now because Victor Krane is still out there, undoubtedly watching them and planning his next attack.

He has not told any of his children that the chip upgrade he is implanting right now will provide much more security for all of them. It will make their signals harder to track and make it more difficult for Krane or anyone else to hack their bionic systems. It is why this upgrade is so massive and so urgent, but he does not tell any of them those details. There is a fine line between being aware of the dangers in life and living constant fear of them, and he does not want to push the kids over that line. Especially when he teeters precariously close to it himself much of the time.

Krane is another one of those variables that Bree most likely has not considered. But Donald has, many, many times. How could he send her 8,000 miles away by herself when that psychopath is still out there? He may as well hand her to Krane directly and tell him to have fun.

The thought makes sweat break out across his forehead and sends a wave of nausea through his stomach. He tries to shake it off, and begins lecturing Bree about her behavior just to get his mind of things, but it is not working. The thought of Krane going after Bree alone has invaded his mind and taken over, upsetting his concentration.

Bree angrily smacks the chip into his hand. He sets it on the counter and turns away so she won't see the fear in his eyes or his shaking fingers.

The tension in the room is thick; even the boys can feel it. Donald is dimly aware of them speaking to her, and of her saying something about not wanting to be bionic. About freedom. But his brain is already too crowded, and his ears are still ringing, and the words register just a few seconds too late.

He looks up just in time to see her raise her arm and smash everything to pieces.

They are all shocked, but he is horrified as the total realization takes over him. She has destroyed her chip, wrecked their team, and left herself more vulnerable than ever.

And Krane is still out there.

All the variables she did not consider are screaming inside of his head. He wants to yell too, but he can barely breathe, can barely get out the words.

_"__You have no idea what you just did."_


	2. Chase

**Author's Note: The only thing that could have made the episode better was actually getting to see the fire that Chase and Adam had to fight. I know it probably would have been expensive to shoot, but still! You can't say something like "we barely made it out alive" and expect the audience not to wonder. So I wrote how I thought it might have gone myself. **

**Part Two- Chase**

_He has never seen anything like this before._

The factory is as long as a city block and half as wide. Half of it is engulfed in flames, and the other half is full of smoke. He can feel the heat even from where he stands outside.

And they are supposed to go in there.

Chase glances at his brother, who looks as uncertain as he himself feels. They both look at their father, who is studying the building, looking for the best point of entry.

"There are two office workers trapped on the second floor," Donald explains. "If you go in through that door, you should be able to get to them fairly easily." He points to a second-story door, ironically situated at the top of a fire escape stairway. "I'll stay down here and guide you to the right room."

Donald reaches into the back of their van and pulls out two long heavy rubber coats. "These will help protect you from the flames," he explains as Adam and Chase slip them on over their mission suits. "They're fire retardant, but NOT fire-proof." Seeing Adam's confused look, he quickly adds, "so don't let yourselves catch on fire."

Chase looks at him incredulously. "Really? That's the plan? 'Don't catch on fire?' Any other advice you have before we run into the inferno here?"

Donald looks over at the building. The fire is spreading quickly. They don't have much time left.

"Yes," he continues. "If it's too hot, or the flames are too close, don't be afraid to abort the mission. Get out while you still can." He motions to the fire escape. "And hurry up!"

As they climb the stairs, Chase wonders why they are even on this mission, and if they are really prepared for it. They haven't really trained on fire scenarios very often, because they've never had to before. In the past, they had Bree, who could extinguish any fire almost instantaneously with her super-speed.

The thought of his sister who had rashly quit the team the day before makes him angry, but he pushes it aside. They are on this mission because two people are trapped, and it is his and Adam's job to save them. He needs to focus on the task at hand, not the doubts in his mind.

At the top of the stairs, he tries the door and finds it locked. Adam opens it with one punch. Black smoke pours out as the boys step through the doorway and into the building.

A blast of heat hits Chase, nearly knocking him over with its intensity. He takes a tentative step forward onto a metal walkway, high above the ground floor of the factory. This end of the building is engulfed in black smoke so thick that he cannot see more than a couple of feet in front of him. Off in the distance, the other end of the building is glowing red with flames.

Chase takes hold of the walkway's metal railing. It is already warm to the touch, but the heavy gloves he has on protect his hands. He carefully walks forward, with Adam right behind him, because there is nowhere else to go. He hears Mr. Davenport's voice on his earpiece.

"Keep walking straight ahead. You should come to a landing that runs perpendicular to the walkway. There will be a door in front of you and one to the left."

Chase and Adam slowly make their way to the end of the walkway. He still can't see, but Chase reaches out and finds the doorway directly in front of him. He takes Adam's arm and leads him down the hall to the left until they find the other door.

"OK, we're at the doorway."

"Open it slowly. And stand back. If there is fire on the other side, it will come rushing out and you don't want to be in the way."

The door is unlocked. Chase pushes it open, but no fire emerges. He walks through the doorway and finds the room beyond to be a little cooler, with much less smoke accumulated. He can actually see in here.

A man and a woman are huddled near the window, which they have shattered in an attempt to get some fresh air. The man looks up as Chase and Adam walk towards them. He motions to the woman who is lying on the ground, barely conscious.

Adam pulls of his oxygen mask and puts it over the woman's face. After a few breaths, she seems more alert. He slides the tank off his back and positions it on her shoulders. Chase looks at him questioningly.

"Adam, are you sure-"

"I'll be fine," Adam says quickly. "Let's just get out of here."

Chase nods and motions to the man, who helps the woman to her feet and supports her as they make their way to the door and back out onto the walkway. It's still pitch black from the smoke. The air feels even hotter than it did before, and the crackling sound of the flames is much louder now. He leads the group across the walkway slowly, with the man and woman in the middle and Adam bringing up the rear.

"Chase? Where are you?" Mr. Davenport's voice asks. Static crackles through the line. The heat must be affecting their radios.

"We're on the walkway. On our way out."

They are about halfway across the walkway, and Chase is thinking that maybe this isn't so bad and they are going to make it out OK, when he hears a loud CRACK. He freezes and holds his arm out to stop the procession behind him. He looks back at Adam who is looking around, confused.

Behind him, the woman is close to collapsing again, and the man doesn't look much better. Chase quickly pulls off his mask and pushes it over his face, willing him to breath in the fresh, clean oxygen. He inhales the warm, smoky air and winces and the pain it brings to his lungs. One breath, and his throat is already stinging, his lungs, burning.

He is about to put the mask back over his own face when he hears another crack, louder than the others. The crack gives way to a roar over his head. He looks up, but it's too dark and smoky to see what is above him. He only has a second to realize that something big is falling towards them.

Chase throws up his hands, producing a force-field which envelopes the whole group. Something huge and heavy crashes down, causing the walkway to shudder. It is a massive piece of the building's ceiling. Chase grunts with effort, but the force-field holds.

He looks at the rest of the group. The woman is slumped down, unconscious. The man is looking up in amazement. He looks at Chase, eyes wide. Adam is looking up, studying the piece of ceiling that is now suspended on the top of the force-field.

His eyes meet Chase's. Adam raises his hands. Chase shakes his head, uncertain.

"Adam…" He knows his brother is strong, but the ceiling piece is not only huge and heavy, it is undoubtedly hot from the fire. But they have to do something. He can't hold the force-field forever. Plus, the air trapped inside of it is dirty and full of smoke, making it hard to breathe.

Adam nods. "I got it, Chase. Get them out." He rises up with his arms overhead and braces himself for the impact.

Chase takes another deep breath of the hot, smoky air and releases the force field. The ceiling piece begins to drop but is stopped by Adam's hands. The huge piece shakes and the walkway shudders, but Adam quickly takes a step to the side, balancing the weight.

He nods again at Chase. "Go! Get them out!"

Chase slips off his oxygen tank and passes it to the man. He takes unconscious woman in his arms and helps the man to his feet. Together they make their way across the walkway. At the end, he looks back, but he cannot see his brother through the dark black smoke.

Compared to the air inside the factory, the outside air is cool and fresh. Donald is waiting for him at the top of the stairs. Chase quickly passes the woman to him and turns to go back inside, but a loud explosion shakes the building and nearly throws him off the stairwell. From inside, he can hear more cracking and the sound of more large pieces of the building crashing to the ground.

He and Donald look at each other worriedly. Chase taps his headset and speaks.

"Adam?"

No response.

"Adam?!" he says again. He turns to enter the building again but is stopped by Donald's hand on his arm. Chase looks down at it incredulously, then back up at his father.

"I have to go find him!"

"No! It's too dangerous!"

"He's my_ brother_!"

Chase pulls his arm free is about to enter the building when a dark figure appears in the doorway. Adam stumbles through, looking dazed. Chase quickly puts an arm around his back to support him. He glances down at Adam's hands, which are shaking. Chase can see the holes that have been burned through the material.

Donald sighs with relief and turns to carry the woman and lead the man back down the stairs. Chase and Adam follow suit, with Chase nearly carrying his brother down the stairs.

On the ground, Donald carefully sets the woman down and checks her vitals. She is unconscious but still breathing. The man is coughing violently but it is clear that they will both be OK after receiving medical attention. He turns his attention back to his sons, who have made it down the stairs and up behind him.

"Come on. Let's get out of here before the firefighters see us." He turns to go but is stopped by a stony glare from Chase.

"Don't ever ask us to do anything like that again," he says coldly, his voice raspy from the smoke.

Donald's reply is drowned out by the sound of Adam's coughing.


	3. Bree

**Author's Note: And...the conclusion! Thank you for reading and reviewing, even though this wasn't quite a "regular"story.**

**Part Three- Bree**

_She has never seen him like this before._

Donald Davenport often gets caught up in his work, even to the point that he forgets to eat and sleep. But Bree has never seen him quite this focused, this intense, or this frustrated.

And never before has it been because of something she did.

And seeing him at the breaking point is just another reminder of her guilt, and how she had something spectacular and threw it away like garbage.

Everything had seemed so clear a week ago, when she was hurt and frustrated and angry after hearing "no" repeatedly from her father. She could see her life stretching out in front of her in a straight line. Never branching off on her own, never finding her own way. Always shackled to her family. To the team that she never asked to be a part of, by virtue of a gift that she never asked to receive.

_Being bionic is the cause of all my problems._

_Therefore, not being bionic is the solution._

It was so simple, but it made so much sense. These abilities that she had never asked for, which had been installed in her body without her consent, were holding her back from becoming who she was meant to be. She didn't even stop to question it. Did not pause to consider all of the ramifications before she smashed her bionic chip to pieces in a hasty split-second decision.

It had felt _so good_. Like a weight disappeared immediately from her shoulders. Like she was free.

Her father had not yelled or thrown things or staged one of his famous Davenport temper tantrums. He had just stared down at the shattered fragments of her chip in disbelief and spoken quietly, without looking at her.

"You have no idea what you've done."

"I know exactly what I've done," she had replied confidently, even as the first tiny bit of doubt had entered her mind.

* * *

><p>The next evening, they had received a mission alert. And it was a mission where her bionic abilities would have been not just helpful, but absolutely vital.<p>

They had left her behind in the lab, and they were gone for hours. With each passing minute, she felt more and more anxious. She had desired freedom, but she had also wanted to remain a part of the team. And as the evening wore on, she realized that it was not possible to have both.

When they had finally returned, she could tell that the mission had been a bad one.

Her brothers would not talk about it, other than Chase gently but firmly reminding her that she could have put out the fire instantly with her super-speed.

The boys had spent half the night coughing, trying to clear the acrid smoke from their lungs. She had stood awake in her capsule listening to them, and with each cough, she wondered how she ever could have thought that her freedom was worth putting her brothers' lives in danger.

* * *

><p>And now she has realized how wrong she was, and how limited and selfish her viewpoint had been. Humility is the only course of action for her now, and miraculously, though she does not deserve it, her brothers and her father readily forgive her.<p>

Her father devotes every spare minute of the day and night to replicating her chip, and she spends every day feeling more and more guilty and embarrassed. She can't stand being the cause of his long days and sleepless nights, even though he never brings it up or lectures her or holds it over her head.

She knows that she deserves his reproach, but it never comes. And as she watches him tirelessly work to save her, she realizes that she may not have asked for this life, but _he did not ask for it either._

And after a week of trying, it becomes clear that the brilliant Donald Davenport does not have the answer this time. And her guilt and embarrassment are replaced by fear that things will never be the same. She will never be able to help her brothers or prevent disasters or save people. She knows now that being bionic and being part of the team is who she was meant to be. The answer was there the whole time, but she had thrown it away.

Leo has been watching all of this unfold from the outside. He is her brother as much as any of them, but his point of view is not quite the same as that of her bionic brothers. Sometimes that is a good thing.

He feigns disinterest when she confides in him, but later shows up with the one person who might be able to help. It's a long-shot, and she knows Donald will not be happy to see the brother who has caused so much harm to their family. But Leo points out that they have no choice, so she reluctantly agrees.

And then things go from bad to worse, and she's stuck in a sling like a baby while her legs move without her consent or her control and her heart rate climbs higher and higher. She can barely breathe, can barely hear anything over the pounding of her pulse in her ears and the swish of her legs going back and forth at breakneck speed.

Her body cannot handle this, and she thinks this may be the end. And maybe this is the punishment that she really deserves.

Her father is frantic but focused. She can see now that he will not give up on her, even though she does not deserve such devotion after she herself showed no devotion at all.

Finally,_ finally_, they find a fix that works. She breathes deeply as her heart rate recedes and her limbs begin to function normally. She is still in the sling, and her father is at her side in seconds, helping her out of it.

Her legs have turned to rubber after all that running. She cannot stand, and she uses this as an excuse to throw her arms around his neck. He seems surprised, but he returns the hug and holds her up so she does not fall again.

She swallows back the lump in her throat and quietly whispers the words she has wanted to tell him all week.

"I'm sorry."

"It's OK," he replies softly.

And in that moment, she truly understands what grace is.

THE END


End file.
